Metz draws 40,000 registrations for papal event on September 28
40,000 registered for Metz papal event on September 28, the tour's third major stop.
Event / Society
Pope Leo XIV France Visit
Pope Leo XIV's papal visit to France from September 25-28, 2026, with nearly 600,000 attendees at the Place de la Concorde mass in Paris and approximately one million total visitors across Paris, Lourdes, and Metz.
3 reported locations
Daily activity
3 articles0 articles
2026-09-16 to 2026-11-05 · UTC publication dates
Coverage begins 16 Sept, 15:15 UTC
Follow the documented timeline or explore the related reporting.
What happened
80,000 people registered for papal vigil with young people at Stade de France
Eighty thousand people registered to attend a vigil with young people led by Pope Leo XIV at Stade de France during his Paris visit on September 25-26.
40,000 people registered for papal event in Metz on September 28
Approximately 40,000 people registered via ticketing for the papal event in Metz on September 28 during Pope Leo XIV's France visit.
Nearly 600,000 people registered for papal mass in Paris
Nearly 600,000 people registered to attend the papal mass at Place de la Concorde on September 26. The registration platform closed on Wednesday, September 16 at 6 PM due to overwhelming demand.
Paris diocese coordinator states challenge is to accommodate approximately one million people
General Hervé Wattecamps, coordinator for the Paris diocese organizing the papal visit, stated on September 8 that the challenge is to accommodate approximately one million people across six sequences over one and a half days.
Pope Leo XIV to celebrate mass at Place de la Concorde in Paris on September 26
Pope Leo XIV will celebrate an outdoor mass at Place de la Concorde in Paris on Saturday, September 26, 2026. The mass is part of the papal visit to France from September 25-28, with stops in Paris, Lourdes, and Metz.
Papal mass security perimeter expanded to Étoile and Avenue de la Grande-Armée
The Paris diocese expanded the secured security perimeter for the papal mass beyond the originally planned area at Place de la Concorde and Champs-Élysées. A satellite viewing zone was organized at Place de l'Étoile and Avenue de la Grande-Armée to accommodate the massive attendance.
Attendees at papal mass will be distributed across 3-kilometer axis toward Porte Maillot
Attendees at the papal mass will be arranged in a single 3-kilometer axis extending from the altar at Place de la Concorde toward Porte Maillot, which is excluded from the security perimeter. Registered participants must present a QR code confirmation to access the site.
150,000 expected to attend papal mass in Lourdes on September 27
A Sunday mass led by Pope Leo XIV in Lourdes on September 27 is expected to attract approximately 150,000 people to the sanctuary meadow.
Pope Leo XIV scheduled to visit UNESCO and Notre-Dame de Paris
During the papal visit to Paris on September 25-26, Pope Leo XIV will visit UNESCO and Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral as part of his itinerary.
Read the coverage
2 alternative perspectives
Pope Leo XIV to celebrate mass in Lourdes with 150,000 attendees
Pope Leo XIV to hold Lourdes mass September 27 with 150,000 expected attendees.
Paris mass logistics challenge: accommodating nearly one million attendees
Paris expects one million papal mass attendees on September 26 with extended security perimeters and distributed seating.